Courtesy photo by Paul Dolnier
Police take a man into custody Monday morning after he doused himself with gasoline and attempted to light himself on fire at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and South Main Street. The man was tackled to the ground by a passerby before he could ignite the gas.

ROCHESTER — A man who attempted to light himself on fire in the midst of a busy downtown intersection was taken into police custody late Monday morning.

Around 11:19 a.m., a man tried to commit suicide by pouring gasoline on himself, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and South Main Street, and attempted to light himself on fire with a lighter, according to Police Capt. Paul Toussaint.

The man was stopped when a good Samaritan tackled him to the ground and prevented the gasoline from igniting, he said.

“It's a pretty emotional thing to watch,” said 63-year-old Dennis Nickerson, a Rochester resident who was first in a line of cars waiting to proceed through the intersection, when he saw the man dousing himself with gasoline.

He said the man was holding up a cardboard sign, but he could not tell what was written on the sign. Nickerson reported the man poured a liquid substance out of a gas can, around himself and on top of his head, and was about to light a lighter when another man ran from the direction of Walgreens and tackled him.

Click image to enlarge

Courtesy photo by Paul Dolnier
Police take a man into custody Monday morning after he doused himself with gasoline and attempted to light himself on fire at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and South Main Street. The man was tackled to the ground by a passerby before he could ignite the gas.

“The guy who tackled him is definitely a hero,” said Nickerson, who said the good Samaritan risked his own life to save the man's. “If that lighter sparked, they both would light up.”

Monday afternoon, Nickerson was still shaken from the incident, he said.

“All through this, he kept saying, 'I don't want to live, I don't want to live,'” said Nickerson. “What could bring a person to such despair? I've thought about it since it's happened.”

According to Nickerson, the intersection of Columbus Avenue and South Main Street was busy with traffic when the incident occurred. For Nickerson, who had been heading toward Dover on South Main Street, the light had just turned green when the man was about to light himself on fire. Nickerson said neither he, nor the other drivers, proceeded through the intersection, not knowing what was going to happen.

A woman, a young girl, and a dog had been walking diagonally through the intersection, and looked at the man in disbelief after he poured gasoline on himself, said Nickerson.

Click image to enlarge

Courtesy photo by Paul Dolnier
Police take a man into custody Monday morning after he doused himself with gasoline and attempted to light himself on fire at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and South Main Street. The man was tackled to the ground by a passerby before he could ignite the gas.

He described the man to be about his own age, in the early 60s, and looking homeless. He was very tall, with long, matted hair and “grubby” clothes, according to Nickerson.

After the incident, police responded and took the man into custody. There were no charges filed, said Toussaint, as “It's a mental health issue.”

The man was taken to Frisbie Memorial Hospital for evaluation after the incident. From there, people who are suicidal are typically either released or taken to the state hospital in Concord, said Toussaint.

He said police would not release the identity of the man who was taken into custody, and said there is no address listed for the man.

After the incident, officers were directing traffic at the intersection, as officers worked to get the man into custody and clean up the spilled gasoline.